¡El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos!
by Tawariell Saerwen
Summary: Chibi Romano is celebrating The Feast of the Epiphany for the first time and he is anticipating the arrival of The Three Kings.
1. Chapter 1

**¡El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos!**

By: Tawariell Saerwen

**Author's Note:** This is a time period Spamano Holiday story! It takes place in 16th Century Spain, so it's a Chibi!Romano/Boss!Spain fanfic. There is no shota or shounen ai in this story. There is only platonic family fluff. The only reason why it's rated T is because of Chibi Romano's brief language.

**Backstory:** The title means _The Day of the Three Royal Kings! _in Spanish. The title is referring to The Three Kings from the Bible who traveled to Bethlehem to visit the baby Jesus. Their names are Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar.

In Spain, The Three Kings are highly revered and celebrated. They have a sweet and beautiful feast day dedicated to them on January 6th, which is known as The Feast of the Epiphany. According to Christian belief, this is the day when The Three Kings visited the Son of God and offered Him gifts of frankincense, gold and myrrh. So, every year on the Eve of the Epiphany, Spanish children use their shoes to stuff them with hay and different kinds of vegetables and they leave their shoes on the windowsill as an offering for The Three Kings' animals. In return, The Three Kings leave presents for the children on the windowsill to thank them for feeding their animals. (I don't know why we use our shoes. All I know is that it's tradition!)

They are the _original_ Santa Clauses in Spain.

The Three Kings are usually depicted riding on camels. But sometimes, they are also depicted riding a camel, a horse and an elephant. For my story, I'm choosing the latter because I love elephants. ^_^

The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated in Spain and throughout Latin America.

During The Feast of the Epiphany, a special cake is eaten called "Roscon de Reyes" which means "King Cakes." It's a circular fruitcake that is filled with chocolate or vanilla cream. There is also a trinket hidden inside the cake. In the middle of the donut hole is a golden crown. The child who finds the little trinket in their slice of cake gets to wear the crown. The trinket is usually a tiny figure of the baby Jesus or a ring. (I once found the baby Jesus trinket in my slice of cake when I was a child! Yay! I still have it in my possession. ^_^)

So, this is what the story is about! Chibi Romano is anticipating the arrival of The Three Kings!

There is a wonderful Latino Christmas song that I play in my home called _Melchor, Gaspar Y Baltazar _by Eydie Gormé y Trio Los Panchos. If you wish to listen to it, check it out on YouTube! - (youtube dot com slash)watch?v=xQcdT-vlJ4I

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Chibi Romano vigorously overstuffed his tiny leather shoes with an abundance of hay and cherry tomatoes. This was his special offering for The Three Kings' animals to consume when they would be stopping by Boss Spain's lavish estate tonight. He smiled at his successful attempt in preparing his very first offering and he picked up his shoes. He then rushed over to the opened window in Spain's bedroom and he carefully placed them on the windowsill. "There! All finished!" he victoriously declared.

Spain grinned at the little nation and he began to chuckle. It touched him so much to see how excited Chibi Romano was in awaiting for The Three Kings. This was his first time celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. This unique Spanish tradition did not exist in Austria's house. So, Chibi Romano was very intrigued by this holiday and he looked forward to the Magis' visitation.

Unfortunately, they would not be visiting the estate if Chibi Romano were to stay awake. He had to be fast asleep and wait to receive his presents from The Three Kings in the morning. He walked up to the child who stood in front of the window and he gently placed his hands onto his small shoulders. "Wow! You've done a great job preparing your offering!" he exclaimed.

"I know! I bet it's the best offering in all of Madrid!" Chibi Romano happily cried.

"I don't doubt it! The Three Kings' animals are really going to appreciate what you've given them! You must feel so proud of yourself!"

"I do!"

"Well, now that you're finished with your preparation, it's time for us to retire to bed!"

Chibi Romano looked up to his Boss and his smile diminished. His dark eyebrows formed an ominous frown and he stubbornly shifted away so that Spain was not touching him anymore. "No! I don't want to go to bed! I'm staying up so I could see The Three Kings!" he angrily whined.

"Aww! Lovinito, you can't stay up to wait for them! They'll skip over our home if you're still awake!" Spain kindly said.

Romano folded his arms and he nodded his head with disbelief. "That's stupid! Why can't I spend any time with them?"

Spain sighed and he knelt down to the child's level. "Because it's tradition, Lovi! It's just the way things are. Don't despair, though! You'll awaken to find many presents left for you from them in the morning! That is…if you go to bed!"

Chibi Romano's luminous brown eyes widened and he began to panic. He hurriedly dashed in his plum colored footed pajamas to the king sized bed and he plopped himself onto the mattress. He then burrowed himself underneath the bed's thick comforter, blanket and bed sheets and he tightly clenched his eyes shut.

Spain smirked at the child and he stood up straight. He walked over to the large fireplace that was adjacent to the bed. He grabbed the metal poker and he poked the burning logs in order to intensify the flames. Once he was satisfied with the flames, he settled the poker back on its holder and he went around the Master bedroom to blow out all the candles. Finally, he went up to his bed and he tucked himself in.

"¡Buenas Noches y Epifanía Feliz! (Good Night and Happy Epiphany!) he softly murmured.

"Buonanotte! Felice Epifania!" Chibi Romano responded.

Spain expressed a deep yawn and he quickly descended into unconsciousness. Chibi Romano, however, was wide-awake. He was too excited to sleep. All he could do was think about The Three Kings. He peeked underneath the covers to stare at the windowsill and he smiled at the sight of his shoes. He hoped that the animals liked what he left for them.

But then, Chibi Romano came to a sudden realization – Spain's bedroom was on the _fourth level_ of the estate. The window was _too high_ for The Three Kings to retrieve his offering! Panic stricken, the little nation turned his attention to Spain and he began trying to wake him up. "Wake up! Wake up, you bastard!" he cried while he was tugging on Spain's white nightshirt, but it was of no avail. So Chibi Romano emerged from underneath the bed sheets and he started jumping on the bed. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" he shouted.

"GAAAH! W-WHAT?! WHAT?!" Spain horrifically shrieked and he sat up in bed and gawked at the distraught child. "What's wrong, Lovi?!" he asked.

"We're too high up! The Three Kings won't be able to grab my shoes from the windowsill!" Chibi Romano whimpered.

Spain realized that Chibi Romano was correct and he briefly face palmed himself. "¡Dios Mio! You're absolutely right! We better move your shoes downstairs!" he kindly responded.

Immediately, Chibi Romano jumped out of bed and he ran to the windowsill and he scooped up his shoes. He was about to run out of the bedroom until Spain called on him to wait. "Hey! Hold on a second! It's too dark to run around!" he insisted while he was lighting a candle that was sitting on top of a table by his bedside. He stabbed the candlestick into its holder and he then got out of bed. He walked up to Chibi Romano and he extended his hand to him. Chibi Romano obeyed his boss for once and he held onto Spain's left hand. With the help of the faint glow coming forth from the candle, Spain led Chibi Romano down the pitch-black hallway and they both carefully descended down the staircase.

Once they were at the first level of the estate, Spain released his grip onto Chibi Romano's hand. He walked around to light the candles in the study room that they had entered. The room became warmly lit and both nations could finally see what they were doing. Chibi Romano ran up to the window and he impatiently fidgeted as he waited for Spain to come to his aid.

"Open the window!" the child whined.

Spain smiled to him and he walked up to the window. He unfastened its lock and he pushed open the window. Then, Chibi Romano settled his shoes onto the windowsill and he smiled up to his boss. "Grazie!" he said.

"De nada," Spain answered and he reached over and he began to pinch the child's chubby cheeks. "Aww! You look so precious in your feety pajamas!" he lovingly exclaimed.

"GAH! S-Stop that, you bastard!" Chibi Romano hissed and tried to get away from Spain's gripping fingertips.

Suddenly, Spain knelt down only to pick up the child and he held him closely to himself. "Aww! You're so cute!" he teased.

"MMMPH! T-That's enough!" the little nation protested. While Spain was holding Chibi Romano in his arms, he went around the room to blow out the candles, leaving his own candle lit to guide themselves back upstairs. Once the study was darkened again, he grabbed his candlestick holder and he started to walk out of the room.

As Spain was leaving the room, Chibi Romano looked over the nation's shoulder to his shoes sitting on the windowsill. Then, a foreboding thought came up in his head – did he have enough food in his tiny shoes to feed all three animals? What about water? They would be thirsty, too as they were making their pilgrimage to the Holy Land! What about The Three Kings? What if they wanted to eat something, too?

Suddenly, Chibi Romano looked to his boss's emerald eyes and he started to nudge him with his hands. "WAIT! STOP!" the child interjected.

Immediately, Spain stopped walking and he looked at the child. "What is it?" he softly asked.

"I-I don't have enough food for the animals inside my shoes! They need more!"

"Aww, don't worry, Lovi! There is plenty for them to eat! Remember, all the other children throughout the country are feeding them, too!"

"B-But what about The Three Kings?! Doesn't anybody leave food out for them? They must be hungry as well!"

Spain was about to answer Chibi Romano's inquisitive question, but he was left completely stumped. He had never thought about leaving an offering for them before. He proudly smiled to Chibi Romano and he finally answered him. "You are such a smart little boy! You're right! We should be giving food to The Three Kings, too! Perhaps we should make them something special to eat! What should it be?"

The child pondered to himself what he and his boss should make for their prestigious guests. Then, an idea came up in his head and he eagerly grinned to Spain. "I know! Lets make churros! And…and…lets make them some things from the New World like…like hot chocolate! And…and…what are they called again? T-Tame…Tamae – "

"¡Tamales!" Spain happily said. They were both referring to the delicious Aztec meal. The meal itself consisted of spicy meats, cheese and jalapeño peppers that were stuffed inside maize and wrapped in cornhusk.

Chibi Romano's body began to bop up and down in Spain's arms as he became giddy with excitement. "Si! Lets make those! They're so yummy!"

"¡Muy bein! Lets get started!" Spain exclaimed and he proceeded to walk to where the mansion's kitchen was located.


	2. Chapter 2

Spain carefully placed out the cornhusk leaves on the kitchen marble counter. Then he started grinding the corn kernels inside the Aztec lava stone molcajete to turn into a thickening yellow maize. Meanwhile, Chibi Romano was standing on top of a wooden chair and he was having fun stirring up the pastry dough in an oversized bowl that his boss had previously measured and set up for him.

Once the maize was prepared, Spain went over to the kitchen fireplace and he added more logs to increase the heat. He then went over to Chibi Romano to see how the dough was coming along. "Wow! This looks great!" he said.

Chibi Romano looked to his boss and scoffed, "PFFT! Of course it looks great! I know what I'm doing here!"

"May I please use the spoon now?"

"Uh, sure. Here you go," Chibi Romano said and he let go of the wooden spoon. He watched Spain take over the task of stirring. He gave it a couple of quick, powerful stirs until the dough reached its ultimate peak. Then he opened a cabinet door underneath the marble table and he pulled out a pastry bag.

"Can you hold this open for me?" he asked the little nation. Chibi Romano nodded and he held out his hands.

"¡Gracias!" Spain said and he handed the pastry bag to Chibi Romano. Then, he took the wooden spoon and he began scooping up the dough and plopping it into the pastry bag. Chibi Romano took his duty _very_ seriously and he made sure that every morsel got into the bag. When this task was completed, Spain clipped the pastry bag shut. Then, he squeezed a little dough out so some of the trapped air would escape.

"It's time to fry up some churros!" Spain happily cried. Chibi Romano grinned from ear to ear and he jumped off of the chair. Both nations walked up to the kitchen fireplace and Spain set the pastry bag aside. He slipped on one insulating glove so he could grip the hot handle of one of the iron frying pans. He pulled the iron pan away from the roaring flame and he examined the boiling cooking oil that was simmering in it. He then picked up the pastry bag.

Chibi Romano leaned in closely to the pan as he anticipated in watching his boss cook. But before Spain could begin, he kindly looked down to him and he gently nudged him back.

"Stand back, Lovino! The oil is _very hot!_" he insisted. Chibi Romano obeyed and he stood behind him. He gripped on his long, white nightshirt and he cautiously peered behind him to watch him begin squeezing the dough into the pan. Instantaneously, the dough sticks began to loudly sizzle and float about in the cooking oil.

The little boy was mesmerized. "Wow!" he said.

"Hey! Can you do me another big favor?" Spain asked as he was occupied with flipping the fry dough around in the cooking oil.

Chibi Romano looked up to Spain. "Sure! What do I need to do?" he asked.

"I need you to sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on the churros when I take them out of the frying pan!"

"How much cinnamon and sugar do I put on them?"

Spain grinned down to the child and he winked. "As much as you want! You can't go wrong with this recipe!"

Chibi Romano stepped away from Spain and he excitedly stood by his post where the large ceramic plate was sitting on the fireplace landing. Next to the plate sat the large cinnamon and sugar containers.

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**Author's Note: **You may be wondering why Boss Spain and Chibi Romano are cooking near a kitchen fireplace instead of using a regular stove. Well, it's because the stove did not exist during the Renaissance. All meals were prepared in a fireplace. The stove was actually invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1741. It was cleverly known as _The Franklin Stove._

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The More You Know…

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Spain flipped the frying dough around in the pan until their texture turned crispy and golden brown. "All right, Lovi! Here's the first batch! Get ready to shake!" he said and he scooped up the fried churros with a spatula. He carefully placed the piping hot churros onto the large ceramic plate. "Okay! Start shaking!" he excitedly said.

Chibi Romano grabbed the cinnamon and sugar containers and he enthusiastically sprinkled the spices onto the churros. Spain grinned down to the child while he was squeezing more dough into the frying pan. "You're doing a wonderful job!" he said.

Chibi Romano's tiny arms hurriedly shook the cinnamon and sugar onto the churros. When he felt that they were satisfactorily coated, he placed the containers down. "Bellisimo!" he said and he kissed his fingers and gestured an A-OK hand signal. Spain focused on the second batch of churros he was frying in the pan. When they became golden brown and crispy, he scooped them up and placed them on the pile of the finished batch. Chibi Romano quickly grabbed the shakers and he vigorously sprinkled the cinnamon and sugar on the churros. This was continued two more times until all of the dough was used up.

Spain smiled to the pyramid of finished churros on the ceramic plate. They were beautiful and they smelled absolutely delicious. He walked over to one side of the kitchen and he retrieved a weave basket. He lined the inside with cloth and he walked back to the fireplace. Both he and Chibi Romano carefully placed the warm churros into the basket and they covered them with the edges of the cloth.

"You're doing an excellent job being my helper in the kitchen!" Spain lovingly told the child.

Chibi Romano looked to his boss with surprise. "I-I am?" he innocently asked.

"¡Si! We're accomplishing so much because we work together as a team! I'm so _proud_ of you, Lovinito!"

Chibi Romano was taken aback by what Spain had said to him. He was not used to being complimented like this. Other people and even his former boss Austria had always jeered to him and telling him how useless he could be. Spain made him feel the complete opposite for a change. He was touched by the nation's kind words and he was feeling good about himself. His chubby cheeks blushed profusely and he shyly looked away from his gaze.

"G-Grazie," he said in a hushed tone. Then he came forward and he tightly embraced Spain's left leg.

Spain grinned to the child and he tenderly patted his head, being ever mindful of his curl that stuck outward. Chibi Romano sheepishly looked up to him and he smiled.

"Well, we got the churros done. Now lets make the tamales!" Spain said. He then knelt down and he slowly picked up Chibi Romano. As he did this, the child quickly gripped the basket's handle and he carried it while Spain was holding him. Spain carried Chibi Romano over to the marble counter and he carefully placed him on his chair to stand on.

Chibi Romano's bashful smile turned into a radiant grin and he became giddy on the chair. He set the basket aside and he observed Spain gather up the ingredients that he had previously brought up from the mansion's food storage and icebox. He laid out the fresh slices of pork on a cutting board. He also placed the jalapeño peppers, white onions, garlic, tomatoes, cheese and various precious spices on the counter.

Spain grabbed a butcher knife from the knife holder. He was about to begin cutting up the pork until Chibi Romano asked him a question. "Can I cut the meat?"

"Aww, I don't think you should, Lovi. The knife is _very_ sharp. You may hurt yourself," Spain honestly answered.

Chibi Romano stubbornly frowned and he folded his arms. "I would not!" he pouted.

Spain sighed and he suddenly felt bad for denying the child's request. He thought of what he could do to have Chibi Romano be involved with preparing the meat. Then, an idea popped up in his head. "I know...I'll let you use the knife, but only if I could hold it as well. That way, we can cut the pork together! Would that be all right with you?" he kindly asked.

Chibi Romano's pouting lips diminished and he slowly nodded. "Okay," he responded.

Spain placed the knife on the counter and he reached over to scoot the chair closer to himself. Then, he stood behind Chibi Romano and he gripped on the butcher knife; one hand was on the dull backside of the blade and the other hand on the knife's handle. "Now, place your hands in the center," he instructed.

Chibi Romano nodded and he firmly grasped the dull backside of the blade. Then, in unison, both nations started to carefully slice the pork into strips. Chibi Romano's smile returned while he was cutting the meat. He felt so grown up handling such a great responsibility. Spain noticed his eagerness and he began chuckling.

Chibi Romano looked up to Spain and arched an eyebrow to him. "What's so funny?" he asked in a slightly irritated tone.

"Oh, nothing, sweetie! I'm just admiring your enthusiasm!" Spain answered in a kind, encouraging tone.

"Oh. I see."

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Si! This is a lot of fun!"

Once the pork was sliced in strips, Spain shifted the wooden cutting board in a vertical angle. Then, both nations commenced cutting the meat into smaller pieces. Once this had been accomplished, Chibi Romano released his grip onto the knife and Spain grabbed a kitchen cloth to wipe off the blade.

"There!" Spain said and he set the knife down. He pushed the pork aside and he grabbed another wooden cutting board. Then, he brought all the vegetables to the edge of it. As he began peeling the white onion, he looked to Chibi Romano. "Cutting the vegetables together may be too difficult to do. Would you like to grind the tomatoes in the other molcajete to make salsa?"

"Sure!" Chibi Romano passionately cried.

"¡Muy bein! Lets gets your station ready!" Spain said and he set the onion on the counter. He carefully scooted the chair over so that the child had enough counter space of his own. Then, the nation opened a cabinet and he brought out the heavy lava stone grinder and he set it in front of Chibi Romano.

Chibi Romano gripped the small lava stone that he would be using to smash the tomatoes and he gently tapped it against the lava stone bowl. He loved the musical clink that the ancient stone produced. While he was doing this, Spain placed the tomatoes on his cutting board and he quickly diced up them with the knife. Then, he picked up the cutting board and he transferred the tomato slices into the molcajete. "There! You're all set! Start smashing!" he said.

Chibi Romano sprinted into action and he began smashing the tomatoes with the small lava stone. Meanwhile, Spain continued peeling the white onion. Once this was done, he placed it on his cutting board and he diced it up in a flash. Then, he grabbed the jalapeños and he sliced them up. Finally, he grabbed the garlic; he smashed it open with his knife, peeled it and diced it. He scooped up the diced vegetables and he sprinkled it into the molecajete.

"I'm going to cook the pork real quick. Then, you can help me assemble the tamales!" Spain said as he quickly dashed some seasonings onto the meat. Chibi Romano nodded while he grabbed a silver spoon and used it to stir the salsa. Spain lifted his cutting board and he walked over to the fireplace. He carefully placed the slices of pork into an iron pan and the meat began to loudly sizzle and release a sweet aroma.

Spain suddenly realized that he needed to set up the copper pitcher to brew the hot chocolate. He rushed down one end of the kitchen and he descended down the stairs to the storage. He opened the icebox and he retrieved the large jug of milk. Then, he closed the icebox, rushed up to a shelf, grabbed the imported box of cocoa and he ascended up the stairs. When he got to the fireplace, he poured the chilled milk and cocoa into the copper pitcher. He mixed up the contents with a wooden spoon and he placed the lid on top of the pitcher. Finally, he scooted it toward the roaring flames so it could begin to brew.

Spain turned his attention to the sizzling pork. He flipped the meat over so the other side could be fully cooked. "It's almost done! Doesn't it smell delicious?" he asked Chibi Romano. But the little nation did not respond. Spain cocked his head over to look to the child's direction and he could see him sitting on the chair. He was not stirring the salsa anymore. "Lovi? Can you smell the pork?" he inquired again, but Chibi Romano did not answer him.

Spain abandoned his post at the fireplace and he walked up to the child. Once he was by his side, he noticed that Chibi Romano was crying. "Lovino! What's wrong?! Why are you crying?!" he gasped.

Chibi Romano looked up to his boss and he sniffled. "I-I wish Veneziano was h-here to celebrate The Epiphany with us…" he solemnly answered. Then, fresh tears spilled down his chubby cheeks and he buried his face into his little hands.

"Aww, Lovino…" Spain tenderly uttered and he lovingly embraced the child.

Chibi Romano brought his hands away from his face and he wrapped his short arms onto Spain's waistline. He then pressed his flushing, moist face onto Spain's chest. "I-I miss my brother so much!" he blubbered.

"I-I know you do," Spain said and he gently stroked the nation's dark, brown hair. "I'm so sorry that you're both separated from each other." He then carefully placed one hand onto the child's chin and he tilted his head back so he could see his face. Spain's heart ached when he saw Chibi Romano's sorrowful expression on his face and he softly began wiping his tears away with his fingertips. "Shhh, tomate…don't cry, sweetie…no more tears…"

Chibi Romano's brown eyes sadly stared up to his boss and his bottom lip started to quiver with emotion. As he felt Spain's fingertips brushing onto his cheeks, his eyes could not help but to water up even more and they poured down where previous tears had been brushed away. Spain sighed to the little nation and he decided to pick him up. Once he did, he sat himself down on the chair and he tenderly held Chibi Romano in his arms.

_"Shhh…no more tears…"_ he whispered and he slowly swayed his own body as a way of rocking the child. Chibi Romano whimpered and he closed his eyes. He liked being rocked this way and he slowly released a sigh. He was beginning to calm down a bit and his tears subsided.

"I'll make a promise to you, Lovino," Spain gently murmured while he rocked the child, "I'll try to convince Austria to allow your brother to travel across Europe to visit us for the holidays."

Chibi Romano opened his eyes and he looked up to Spain with surprise. "R-Really? Y-You mean it?" he asked.

"I do," Spain responded and he smiled to the child, "I'm a man of my word. I promise you that next year Veneziano will be here with us to celebrate Christmas and The Epiphany."

Suddenly, Chibi Romano squirmed in Spain's arms so he could stand himself up on his lap. He outstretched his short arms and he wrapped them around the nation's neck. "G-Grazie! Grazie, Boss!" he happily cried.

Spain wrapped his arms around the tiny figure. They silently embraced one another for a few minutes. When Chibi Romano pulled away so he could see the nation's face, Spain gave him a simple order. "Lovino…please don't call me Boss anymore. I want you to call me _Antonio_. Can you do this for now on?"

Chibi Romano nodded his head and he smiled to him. "Si…I can do this. Grazie B-…I mean, Antonio," he responded.

Spain grinned to the child and he gave him another hug. Both nations smiled to one another and Chibi Romano was feeling a lot better. He felt tremendous joy in his heart that Veneziano could possibly be coming to visit them next Christmas. He trusted Spain's word to him. He had never let him down. Not even tonight.

Chibi Romano's nose caught a strange smell in the kitchen. He sniffed the air and he looked around to see where it was coming from. "What's that smell?" he asked Spain.

Spain could smell it too and his nose began sniffling. Then, he suddenly became panic-stricken and he grabbed Chibi Romano. "OH MY GOD! THE PORK!" he shouted and he stood himself up and he settled the little nation on his chair. Chibi Romano watched Spain dash over to the fireplace and mistakenly grabbing the hot iron handle with his bare hand. "OWW!" Spain cried and he slipped on the mitten and he pulled the pan away from the flames. Immediately, Chibi Romano jumped out of his chair and he ran down to the storage.

Spain frantically examined the pork. It was slightly charred, but still in good, edible condition. It would not go to waste. "Phew! That was close!" he said.

Chibi Romano ran up to Spain's side holding a tied cloth bundle containing a small block of ice. "Antonio! Here!" he cried and he handed the item to Spain. His boss smiled to the child and he slipped off his glove. He gladly took the wrapped ice and he pressed it onto his stinging palm. "¡Gracias, Lovi!" he said.

"De nada," Chibi Romano said and he looked at the pork. "It looks done!" he said.

Spain chuckled and he nodded. "Si, I saved it just in time! We'll let it cool off and then we can begin assembling the tamales."

"YAY! I can't wait!" Chibi Romano excitedly said and he started to jump in place. Spain grinned at him and he patted his little head. The child jumping ceased, however, when he caught a glimpse of Spain's injured hand. He could see the prominent red marking etched onto his right palm. "I-I hope you feel better," he compassionately said.

"Gracias, Lovi," Spain answered and he knelt down to embrace him. He stood up afterwards and he slipped on his mitten. "Here's the ice," he said and he handed it to Chibi Romano. The child took it from his hand and he held onto it. After a few minutes of waiting, the pork finally cooled off. Spain and Chibi Romano could finally begin shredding the pork and assembling the tamales. Spain carried the pan over to the counter. He shredded the meat with some knives while Chibi Romano molded the maize into oval shaped loaves. Then, Spain distributed the pork into each individual maize loaf and Chibi Romano plopped a dollop of salsa and cheese on top. Finally, the loaves became enclosed so its contents could not leak out.

Spain took the cornhusk leaves and he wrapped the individual loaves. Chibi Romano took it upon himself to tie the cornhusks closed with long, thin cornhusk that resembled string. When everything was assembled, Spain put the tamales into a large copper steam pot. It was time to steam them so the maize could become cooked.

"How long does it take to steam the tamales?" Chibi Romano asked.

"Not long, maybe about ten minutes," Spain answered as he settled the steam pot closely to the flames of the fireplace. He walked back to the counter and he sat down next to the little nation. They both gawked at the mess they had created on the counter. Neither one wanted to look at it.

"I-I'll clean everything later," Chibi Romano said.

Spain arched an eyebrow to him and he smirked. "_You? Cleaning up? _This is an Epiphany miracle!" he lovingly teased.

"Hey! Shut up!" Chibi Romano cried, but Spain could not contain himself from laughing. Chibi Romano's lips expressed a radiant grin and he, too, began to laugh. Their giggling carried on for a while as they waited for the tamales to be fully steamed in the pot. After a few minutes, a succulent aroma of meat, maize and salsa filled the extravagant kitchen. Both nations moaned with adoration as they inhaled the wonderful smell. The tamales were finished!

Spain stood up and he walked over to a wall cabinet. He opened the door and he pulled out a silver platter. He looked back to Chibi Romano and he grinned to him. "It's time to deliver our goods to The Three Kings!" he happily exclaimed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Well, there's only two chapters left after this for my short story. I originally intended to write this story as one long submission, but then I decided to split it into multiple chapters just to space it out a bit. Thanks for reading my little holiday story!

Below is a brief description about the history of tamales. I felt like sharing about it because I find it significant and interesting. ^_^*

**The History of Tamales –** Tamales are originally a Mesoamerican dish (Tacos are also Mesoamerican). The meat content inside tamales was quite different than how they're made today. Before the Spanish Conquistadors arrived to the New World, dairy products didn't exist in traditional Mesoamerican cuisine. European livestock didn't exist, either. So the meat content used for tamales consisted of different sources such as worms, iguana, fish, rabbit, turkey and _human flesh._ Cannibalism was common in Mesoamerica. (Iguana is still consumed in different regions of Mexico and Guatemala.)

When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived to the New World and forced everyone to convert to Roman Catholicism, Mesoamerican culture had to be changed. The first thing that had to end was cannibalism. So, to replace the human flesh in their diet, the Spanish introduced pork. To the indigenous people of that time, they accepted the taste of pork because to them, it tasted _exactly_ like human flesh. So this new alternative helped the newly baptized citizens to assimilate into Spanish society. (It wasn't a cakewalk, that's for sure. The Conquistadors were not saints living on Earth.)

Tamales can be eaten anytime of the year. But usually in Mexican households, they are made especially during the holidays. They're traditionally consumed during Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany, also commonly known as Three Kings Day. Tamales are usually made with pork, beef, chicken or jalapeño peppers with cheese.

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The More You Know…

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* * *

Both Spain and Chibi Romano were standing together outside of the lavish estate. They had just settled their abundant offerings they had prepared together onto a simple, square table draped with a white tablecloth. They both looked at their presentation with admiration and pride. "Wow! We've really outdone ourselves, haven't we?" Spain happily said.

"Si…do you think we've made enough food?" Chibi Romano asked and he looked up to his boss.

Spain began to gently snicker from the child's innocent question. They had indeed made enough food – they had made a dozen pork tamales, hot chocolate contained inside a ceramic pitcher jug and a basket filled to the brim with churros. The table was presented with dinnerware and napkins. Chibi Romano's tiny leather shoes stuffed with hay and cherry tomatoes were settled onto the table. Sitting on the ground was a large bucket of water for the animals.

"¡Si, Lovi! We've made plenty of food! Why, we've made a feast made for a king – or in this case, _three kings!_" Spain responded and he chuckled to his own little corny joke. Chibi Romano's small lips formed a smirk after he listened to the nation's light-hearted response. But suddenly, a deep yawn escaped from his throat. Spain took notice of the little nation's yawning and he could see how visibly tired the boy had become. "I think it's time for us to go back to bed," he said.

Chibi Romano grumbled in protest while he rubbed his eyes. "N-No! I-I don't want to go to bed!" he whined.

"But sweetie, remember what I had told you earlier? The Three Kings will skip over our home if you remain awake! You have to fall asleep so they can leave you presents!"

"I-I know that! B-But I still want to risk everything…so I could see them…" Chibi Romano tiredly said and he stopped rubbing his eyes.

Spain knelt down to the child's level and he kindly smiled to him. "Aww, I don't want you to do that! Don't you want presents?"

"O-Of course I…I…*yawn*…do…"

"Then you must go to bed!"

Chibi Romano's eyebrows formed a frown and he was about to tell off his boss. But suddenly, he fell onto his knees. He was so exhausted from working in the kitchen and being past his bedtime that he was literally collapsing into unconsciousness. Spain immediately caught the child before he face planted onto the ground and he lifted him up. He stood himself up as he cradled Chibi Romano in his arms. The little nation was in a deep sleep and a little trickle of saliva was beginning to seep from the edge of his tiny mouth.

"Aww! So cute!" Spain softly uttered as he gently wiped away Chibi Romano's drool with his hand. He started to rub the child's back as he walked up to the table to retrieve his candlestick. Then, he began his walk to the front door to the estate.

* * *

Spain carefully settled Chibi Romano into his bed. He tucked the bed sheets and blanket up to the child's neck, which did not please him in his unconscious state and his little arm stubbornly shoved the blanket away from himself. Spain smirked to the little nation and he allowed him to remain this way. He then knelt onto his knees and he reached underneath the bed to find Chibi Romano's favorite plush doll. His hand blindly patted the wooden floorboards for the large plush sea turtle until his fingertips felt the smooth, fuzzy surface of the doll. He gripped its flipper and he pulled it from under the bed. Spain stood up again and he leaned forward and lovingly slipped the plush doll in Chibi Romano's arms.

The child slowly hugged the sea turtle in his arms and a faint smile appeared on his chubby face. Spain leaned in closely to him and he kissed him on the cheek. _"¡Buenas Noches, Lovi!"_ he whispered.

Chibi Romano frowned after being kissed and his little arm reached up to rub against his cheek. Afterwards, he quietly grumbled in his sleep and he turned to his side while he hugged his sea turtle plush doll. Spain smiled at him as he walked over to the other side of the bed. He was about the get into it until he realized that he still had to clean up the mess they had made inside the kitchen. He sighed with annoyance and he decided to go back downstairs. He quietly stepped out of his bedroom and he headed down the stairs. Once he was on the first level, he went down below where the kitchen was located. Adjacent to the kitchen were the staff quarters where his servants occupied.

As he was about to step into the kitchen, one of the bedroom doors opened up. A young woman dressed in a simple nightgown peeked out to see who was passing through. "Oh! Master Carriedo! What are you doing down here? Are you hungry? Would you like for me to prepare you a snack?"

"Oh, no! That's quite all right, Sofía!" Spain said to the chambermaid, "I just came down here to clean up my mess in the kitchen! I was cooking earlier – "

Suddenly, another bedroom door opened up and another young woman peeked out. "I knew it! I thought I heard somebody cooking in there!" she cried.

Spain smiled to the other chambermaid and his cheeks flushed. "Ha! You've caught me red-handed, Reyna!" he said.

"Why were you cooking? It's almost midnight, you know!"

"Yeah! Why are you still up?"

"Was Lovino hungry? Did you cook for him?"

"How is the little darling doing tonight?"

"Eh-heh! Well, you see…" Spain started to say but he suddenly began to choke with laughter. He was amused by the chambermaids' inquisitiveness. When his laughter subsided, he continued his sentence. "You see ladies, Lovino and I were cooking some food for The Three Kings!"

"Aww! How precious!" Reyna lovingly cried.

"That's so sweet!" said Sofía.

"What did you cook exactly?"

"Did it come out all right?"

"Did Lovino help out? – "

"Ladies! Por favor, one at a time!" Spain kindly said and he started to chuckle again.

Both chambermaids blushed profusely and they quickly bowed to their nation. "Forgive us, Master Carriedo!" they said in unison.

"Aww, there's no need to be formal with me right now. It's after hours! Lets behave causally, shall we?" Spain insisted. Both chambermaids shyly smiled to him and they nodded in agreement. Then, Spain finally answered their questions. "Well, I decided to prepare some tamales, churros and hot chocolate because Lovi insisted that we had to leave food out for The Three Kings themselves! I couldn't possibly say no to his request. Oh, and he did help out in the kitchen, too! He was a great assistant!"

Both chambermaids' eyes glistened as they listened to their boss' explanation. They softly giggled amongst themselves and they lovingly stared at their nation. "¡Oh, Dios Mio! That is so sweet!" Reyna cried.

"¡Si! Oh, you're so good to that little boy!" Sofía exclaimed.

"Lovino looks up to you so much! He'll never admit it, but it's so obvious that he does!"

"You dote over him so much! He's begun to open up more to everyone because of your kindness!"

Spain's cheeks blushed as he listened to his staff members' praises over his caretaking of his newly acquired underling. "¡Gracias, ladies! I-I've been trying to make him feel more welcome. It hasn't been an easy transition for him living here with us. He terribly misses his brother. The holidays make him long for his companionship. But I'm doing my best to fill the void. I'm going to try to have Veneziano visit us next year!"

"That's wonderful!" said Sofía and she clasped her hands together and she grinned to her boss.

"It sure it!" Reyna exclaimed, "I hope that you're successful in having his brother stay with us!"

"G-Gracias…" Spain quietly answered and he suddenly let out a yawn. He was becoming tired. He wanted to go back upstairs to bed, but he remembered his duties to clean up the kitchen before he could do so. "Well, ladies…I better get started with my clean up – "

"Oh, no, Master Carriedo! Let us do it for you!" Sofía cried.

"A-Are you sure?" Spain stammered.

Both chambermaids giggled and they nodded in unison. "¡Si, Master Carriedo! Let us do it! That is why we're here!" Reyna insisted.

"Remember that you employ us to clean up after you! If you start picking up after yourself, why, we'd be out of a job!" Sofía teased.

Spain smiled and he started to slowly walk out of the staffs' quarters. Both chambermaids curtsied as he walked past them. The nation looked back to them and he bowed. "¡Gracias! ¡Buenas Nochas!" he said.

"¡Buenas Noches, Master Carriedo!" both chambermaids responded and they began to walk down toward the kitchen. But suddenly, Reyna paused and she looked back to her employer. "Master Carriedo!" she cried.

Spain abruptly stopped walking and he turned around to look at the chambermaid. "What is it, Reyna?" he softly asked.

"Have you brought out Lovino's presents yet?"

Spain smiled at the young woman and he answered her, "No, not yet. I'm going to wait a couple of more hours in case Lovi decides to wake up and sneak downstairs to try to catch a glimpse of The Three Kings."

"Don't forget to do this! You look awfully tired!"

"I-I won't, Reyna. Don't worry…I don't intend on ruining Lovi's first Epiphany celebration. Oh, that reminds me! You two and the rest of the staff are welcome to eat the food we've made tonight! But please wait awhile to do this in case Lovi comes downstairs."

"Very good, Master Carriedo! ¡Gracias!"

Spain bowed to the chambermaids and they in returned curtsied to him. Then, he turned around and he walked out of the room.


End file.
